Purification of liquids



Aug. 6, 1929. G. c. LEWIS PURIFICATION 0F LIQUIDS Filed May 5, 1925 `Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

GEORGE CHARLES LEWIS, OF NEW DORP, NEW YORK.

PURIFICATION OF LIQUIDS.

Application filed May 5,

This invention relates to the purification of liquids, and more particularly to the purilieation oi wa ter by the removal oit not only the solid matter in suspension, but also the bacteria or other organic n'iatter, and the color and odor. Activated carbon is extensively used in certain industries as a decolorizing agentby adding Yit to the water to be treated, and thereafter filtering out the activated earbon which is in avery line, state ol subdivision. 'fl'uch processes are not practical for the puri- Vtication ot water, particularly in small quantities for drinking purposes. Various germicidcs are useful for destroying disease germs or other organisms in drinking water, but in many cases they leave an objectionable color, odor or taste in the water.

l have discovered that by the use of aetivatcd carbon as a ,tilter body, germi cides may be used and the activated carbon will remove them from the water or retain them, will relnove all dead organisms killed by the germieide, will lilter cut all solid impurities, and will adsorb not only the color and odor resulting `trom the germieide, but also the color and odor resulting `from other dissolved or gaseous ingrediei'its present as impurities. Furthermore the removed or retained germieide held in or by the activated carbon will remain active for a long` period.

rllhe activated carbon may be revived from time to time by heat treatn'lent as required, and 'fresh germicide may be added.

its one feature olI my invention l retain the activated carbon in a container havingl a wall oi' porous ceramic u'iaterial through which the water passes belore reaching the activated carbon. 'lfhus this wall servesl as a preliminary iilter medium tor removing most oi the Isolid impurities and increases the lite of the activated c: .'bon by proventing the contamination ol the latter by such solid impurities. "ifhe heat,treatment ol the activated carbon to rcvivi'liy the latter may take place while in the ceraniic cc'intainer so thatthe containci.' prevents access ot air to the carbon di'l'ring the heating, and the heating purilies and sterilizes the container.

lf may place the carbon in the container betere the latter is burned` whereby the high temperature required to burn the ceramic material also acts to greatly increase the activ- :it-y oi' the carbon without burning the latter as it is enclosed and protected trom the action olf (he atn'iosphere.

Various other important features ot my in- 1925. Serial No. 28,047.

vention` will be pointed out hereinafter, or will be apl'iarent from a consideration ot certain prc'lerred en'ibodiments.

lu the accompanying drawing there are illustrated in a somewhat diagrammatic manner two embodiments of my invention. It will of course be i'lnderstood that these drawings are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, and that various changes may be made in the construct-ions illustrated without departing from the scope oi' my invention.

.ln these drawings:

Fig. l is a central longitudinal section through a construction connected in an ordinary water supply system, and

Fig. 2 a section through a different 'torni tor use in connection with a water cooler.

ln constructing a water filter oit the character shown in Fig. l, I tirst iorm a container which includes two sections or wall members, as lor instance a dished disk l and a cover ll. These are formed of clay or other pottery ware, and before being baked the container is tilled with an organic char, preferably an activated carbon, which may or may not have been previously treated to increase its activity. The container is closed with the activated carbon therein, and is then burned to convert the walls ot' the container into hard, porous, unglazed ceramic material.

'lhe heating may be to a temperature as high as 2500O F., and :it will be obviousthat the activated carbon is at the same time subected to substantially the same ten'iperature but is protected from contact with the air. lhis high heating of the carbon out olf conn tact with the air very greatly increases its adsorptive properties. that is, its capability ot removing colors, odors and the like Atrom lid-- nids with which it is brought in contact.

One ol the two walls, 'tor instance the wall 10, is ordinarily formed with an aperture therein which may be closed by a plug during the burning operation, and this serves I'or the admission of germicides to the interior oli the container. Such germicides may be potas sium permangauate, copper salts, or the like.

To support the container there is provided any suitable torni of casing, as for instance a shell having two sections 12 and 13 which may be connected by screws or bolts so as to hold the container therein as a diaphragm subdividing the shell into two compartments. A water supply pipe 14 may be connected to the section 12, while a Water outlet l may lead from the other section to an ordinary faucet. The pipe 14 may be connected to the ordinary water supply pipe 16 in the rear of the usual faucet 17.

In the operation ot the device the porous walls 10 and 11 serve to remove the coarser impurities, but as is well known, finer impurities such as germsV and other microorganisms, or colors or odors, may pass through. These are entirely removed by the activated carbon. Color may be imparted to the water by the action of such germicides aspotassium permanganate or copper salts,` and the activated carbon thus acts not only to remove the dead organisms, but also to remove any color or odor which may have been in the water originally, or which may have been imparted to it. from the germicides employed.

The outer shell or container may be of metal or vitreous or other material, and should be so designed that all the water must Ypass through the filtering medium, and so that it may he opened for the removal of the container which forms the filtering diaphragm or partition therein.

Another form which my invention may assume is shown in Fig. 2 in which there is provided a crocky or other vessel 18 having a partition 19 therein forming upper and lower compartments. The lower compartment may have a faucet 20, and may have, instead of said faucet, or in addition thereto, an outlet 21 which may lead to a cooler.

The partition 19 has an aperture therein receiving a container v22 formed ot unglazed ceramic material and containing the mass of activated carbon. The container 22 has a cover' 23 whereby water in the upper compartment can pass to the lower compartment onlyby passing through the Wall of the container 22 and through the activated carbon therein. The device thus operates in substantially the same manner as the construction shown in Fig. 1. The germicide may be placed in the container 22 with the activated carbon, and the `latter may be heated to render it `more active while the clay is being burned to form the container.

Vhen the carbon of either form has become exhausted itrmay be removed and replaced by fresh vcarbon which may have been treated with or mixed with the germicide. The container 'itself may be removed trom the apparatus and lreheated to a-fhigh temperature with the fresh activated carbon therein, so as to increase the. activity of the latter it desired. It the replacement carbon is not heated in the container it may be put in in ay small bag so that the mass of carbon may be removed and replaced without disturbing the porous iilterin g container therefor.

It will be noted that in my improved construction the outer porous ceramic wall removes the coarser solid impurities of the water before the latter reaches the activated carbon, and thus the carbon is prevented from being contaminated by such inipurities.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to -secure by Letters Patent is 1. A purifying apparatus tor drinking water, including a conduit tor .supplying water under pressure and having a controlling discharge cock and a container interA posed between spaced sections ot' said conduit for holding a limited amount ot' the water under pressure, said container being formed of two detachably connected walls having the separate 'sections of said conduit secured thereto, means tor sealing the joint between said sections to prevent the escape of water, and a partition subdividing the container into two compartments and having its periphery secured in place between the edge portions ot said walls, said partition having spaced separable ceramic walls forming a chamber therebetween, and a tilling of activated carbon in said chamber.

2. A purifying apparatus for drinking water, including a conduit for supplying water under pressure and having a controlling discharge cock and a container interposed between spaced sections of said conduit for holding av limited amount of the water under pressure, said container being formed of two detachably connected walls having the separate sections of said conduit secured thereto, means for scaling the joint between said sections to prevent the escape of water, and a partition subdividing the container into two compartments and having spaced separable ceramic walls forming a chamber therebetween, and a illingi ot activated carbon and a germicide in said chalnber.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State ot New York, this 30th day of April, A. D. 1925.

GEORGE CHARLES LEWIS. 

